Public Statements

Coats Statement on Syria

Statement

Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, today released the following statement on the situation in Syria:

"The White House, the secretary of defense and the intelligence community have confirmed that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons on a limited scale in Syria. As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I have been briefed on the intelligence behind this assessment and have followed the matter very closely."

"Clearly, this raises the stakes in Syria and proves that hope is not a suitable strategy for advancing United States self-interest in the Middle East. It also demonstrates that without American leadership and a well-defined strategy, this situation will get worse. Today we are discussing the use of chemical weapons by the regime, but tomorrow we could be talking about the use of chemical weapons by al-Qaeda or related terrorist groups that make up some of the opposing forces seeking to overthrow the current regime. The administration must reconsider its policy and actually develop a strategy for Syria. Left unchanged, we will not be able to shape, let alone control, the course of future events."